Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-10-07
THE WEST POINT CADETSHLP.

On tomorrow competitive eXamina-
ton for the West Point cadetship will be
held in this city and will be largely at
tended. Only one can be successful, and
the struggle to be that one will DE spirited.
The qualifications necessary are a good
physical constitution-nota an sbnormally
developed frame nor prize fighters mus
Gle, necessarily, but sound body. The
pale-faced, narrowchested cigarette
smoker need not apply. The other quail
fications are simply what everybody is
supposed to have, but, in fact, what very
few possess. The examinations in Or
biography will be confined to
simple words; the constitution
of the state of Texas and of
the United States will be reviewed and
geography slightly touched upon. There
will be nothing dificuit-no "pocket-
pistols" will be sprung on the applicants,
for the government does not require this.
The questions will be plain, simple and
practical. When the examinations are
concluded the best Of them will be picked
out and forwarded to Washington. These
again will be examined and the best Sc
lected from the number, provided any of
them reach standard sufficiently high.
And here is where the trouble comes in;
it is not impossible for all to be
rejected. While the United States de-
mards Cnly ordinary attainments to enable
an applicant to secure admission to West
Point, very few young men 50 applying
possess even ordinary attainments. They
have a general, and doubtless in many
instances, d correct idea of the various
branches in which they will be examined, |
but they are thorough in nothing. The |
examining, or lightning express style of
education which most young men receive |
does very well on dress parade, but does
not suit the drudgery of practical appli- |
cation. They are not accurate; they !
know how things are done but cannot, or |
ST least do not, do them. II the penman- |
ship is artistic the punctuation is faulty; |
if both these are passaDle the construction |
OF sentences is poor. There is lack Of |
industry-of that quiet, earnest pIodding,
without which no solid education |
can be obtained, prevslen in our system
OF teaching. Every one wants to be bril-
liant and snowy and no one wsnts to be
plain and thorough. Pupils who have
general knowledge may appear to better
advantage than those who prefer fewer
accomplishments and greater perfection,
but they will find, when put to the test,
that in knowing little of q great many
things, Ethey do not know enough of
anything to benefit them much. 1t is not
desirable that young men should be Tim
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. utomaton ms, but it is
necessary for them to resiizeIthat knowl-
edge consists in thoroughness and accu-
,acY as much SIS in snowy appearances and
lslf understood smatterings. ''I know {
Thst it is but l can't express it," is O
vicious fslsehood sclothed by common
consent in the garb of truth. 1t may be,
low and then, that poets, when they |
work sthemselves up into 8 fine frenzy, I
re enabled to "see thoughts in the valley /
90 pure for the touch of o word" but in l
be practical affairs of life, If person I
nows thing he eau tell it and impart /
lie knowledge to others. Most OF our q
;hools realize that skimming over les C